George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 
COLONEL  FLOWERS 


The  Church  in  a  Southern  Mill  Town 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  MESSIAH 

MAYODAN,  NORTH  CAROLINA 

ALFRED  R-  BERKELEY, 

MINISTER  IN  CHARGE 


FOREWORD 


This  little  book  is  intended  to  serve  a  two-fold  purpose. 

It  is  an  account  ,of  our  stewardship  to  the  many  friends  whose  interest 
and  help  have  made  possible  the  Church 's  work  at  Meyodan. 

To  many  others,  to  whom  the  word  Mayodan  has  no  meaning,  it  comes  as 
a  message  of  introduction,  sent  in  the  hope  that  it  may  enlist  their  interest 
and  co-operation  in  a  greater  undertaking  for  Christ  and  His  Kingdom. 

The  first  part  of  this  account  appeared  in  the  children's  number  of  the 
Spirit  of  Missions  for  1909. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  MESSIAH  AROUND  WHICH  CENTRES  THE  WEL- 
FARE WORK  IN  MAYODAN 


BIEDSEYE  VIEW  OP  MAYODAN 


MAYODAN  is  a  mill  town  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Diocese 
of  North  Carolina.    Twelve  years  ago  a  large  cotton  factory  was 
built  on  the  banks  of  the  Mayo  River  near  its  junction  with  the  Dan. 
The  operatives  and  their  families,  to  the  number  of  twelve  hun- 
dred, have  come  chiefly  from  the  surrounding  highlands.    They  are 
largely  the  same  kind  of  people  that  the  Church  is  trying  to  reach  in  the 
mountains  of  this  and  adjoining  states. 

Of  pure  Anglo-Saxon  extraction  they  have  in  a  measure  been  cut  off  from 
the  outside  world  for  generations.  Possessing  little  or  no  property"  and  with 
limited  school  facilities  they  have  grown  up  in  poverty  and  ignorance.  In 
the  country  they  are  renters  or  tenants,  and  having  to  pay  from  one-third 
to  one-half  of  their  crops  for  rent  of  land  and  tools  they  are  able  to  maintain 
but  a  bare  existence.  In  this  section  tobacco  is  the  chief  crop  and  whole 
families,  including  women  and  small  children,  can  be  seen  working  in  the 
fields.  On  the  whole  they  are  a  fine  class  of  people — honest,  hospitable  and 
intelligent.  From  them  have  sprung  some  of  America's  substantial  men. 
All  they  need  is  a  chance. 

These  people  are  now  pouring  into  the  southern  mill  towns  seeking  steady 
employment  and  better  remuneration.  Here  they  have  the  pleasures  of  social 
life,  the  advantages  ,of  school  and  church,  and  better  their  condition  in  many 
ways.  Already  there  are  nearly  150,000  factory  people  in  North  Carolina 
alone,  and  this  number  is  destined  to  be  increased  many  fold  in  the  near 
future.    These  conditions  not   only  produce  important   social  and  economic 


SOME  OF  OUR  CHTLDREX 


questions;  they  offer  a  wonderful  opportunity  for  the  Church  to  spread  its 
message  among  a  people  whose  need  is  great  and  to  whom  it  is  almost 
unknown. 

The  question  has  been  asked,  "Can  the  Episcopal  Church  reach  and 
hold  and  uplift  these  factory  people?"  Here  at  Mayodan  we  are  trying  to 
answer  it  by  a  practical  experiment.  An  attractive  church,  well  located,  was 
built  soon  after  the  town  was  started.  Services  were  held  by  a  visiting 
clergyman  once  or  twice  each  month  and  a  Sunday-school  was  conducted 
from  time  to  time  by  the  two  or  three  communicants  in  the  village.  After 
eight  years  of  .occasional  services,  during  which  time  there  was  scarcely  an 
addition  to  the  Church,  those  in  authority  realized  that  to  make  any  real 
progress  there  must  be  a  resident  minister  who  could  identify  himself  with 
the  people  bv  going  into  their  homes  and  knowdng  them  in  their  everydav 
life. 

Accordingly,  about  five  years  ago,  a  young  clergyman  was  sent  to  live 
in  Mayodan.  He  was  the  first  and  at  that  time  the  only  resident  pastor  iu 
the  village  although  several  denominations  had  erected  church  buildings  in 
which  occasional  services  were  held. 

He  soon  saw  that  to  obtain  the  best  results  it  was  necessary  to  secure 
a  sufficient  number  of  helpers  and  an  adequate  equipment  for  some  sort  of 
institutional  work.  There  were  few,  if  any,  to  teach  in  the  Sunday-school, 
play  the  organ  or  assist  in  the  work,  and  as  the  clergyman  had  five  other 
mission  stations  under  his  charge  he  had  to  be  away  from  Mayodan  much  of 


Tlic  time.  An  appropriation  from  the  Board  of  Missions  enabled  Bishop 
Cheshire  to  place  a  woman  worker  in  the  field  and  Miss  Emma  Karrer  of 
Raleigh  has  been  rendering  efficient  and  self  sacrificing  service  since  Septem- 
ber, 1906. 

Shortly  afterward  Mr.  C.  P.  Willcox  of  Charlotte,  was  added  to  the  staff. 
He  has  proven  a  most  faithful  and  competent  assistant,  not  only  in  the  work 
at  Meyodan,  but  in  the  associated  missions.  Mr.  Willcox  was  ordained  to 
the  Diaconate  last  October,  and  will  continue  at  Meyodan,  receiving  a  salary 
just  half  of  what  he  could  obtain  elsewhere. 

Meanwhile  a  small  two-room  cottage  near  the  church  was  secured  for  a 
parish  house.  One  room  was  fitted  up  for  a  lecture  room  to  seat  about  forty 
persons.  Here  the  minister  gathered  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  in  the 
evenings.  Another  night  there  would  be  a  magic  lantern  exhibition  or  some 
other  form  of  entertainment.  The  second  room  of  the  house  was  converted 
into  a  reading  and  game  room  in  which  were  placed  magazines,  picture  books, 
and  various  indoor  games.  The  young  people  flocked  to  this  place  and  good 
effects  were  seen  almost  immediately.  Many  boys  and  girls  were  kept  off 
the  streets  by  having  a  comfortalle  place  in  which  to  spend  their  evenings 
in  recreation  and  social  enjoyment  after  having  worked  in  the  factory  all  day. 

We  soon  out  grew  our  first  quarters  and  with  the  help  of  friends  were 
able  to  buy  a  good  two-story  house  with  five  rooms  on  a  large  lot  adjoining 
the  church  property.  This  furnished  quarters  for  the  minister  and  his  as- 
sistant, a  meeting  place  for  the  clubs  and  societies  and  also  for  the  night 


PAEISH  HOUSE 


SUNDAY  SCHOOL  BUILDING  AND  AUDITORIUM 


school.  One  room  is  used  for  a  public  library  and  reading  room.  It  contains 
about  five  hundred  miscellaneous  books,  donated  chiefly  by  the  Church  Peri- 
odical Club,  and  largely  used  by  the  young  people  of  the  town. 

The  efficiency  )Of  the  work  has  been  further  enhanced  by  the  erection  of  a 
large  auditorium  in  the  rear  of  the  church  and  Parish-House.  Besides  afford- 
ing a  place  of  meeting  for  the  Sunday-school  this  building  is  used  for  enter- 
tainments and  other  public  gatherings  not  distinctively  religious.  Before  it 
was  built  there  was  no  such  place  in  town  and  the  church  buildings  were 
frequently  used  for  such  purposes. 

The  Sunday-scho.ol  is  our  pride  and  joy.  It  has  grown  steadily  and  during 
the  past  year  has  had  an  enrollment  of  over  two  hundred,  about  one-fifth  of 
the  total  population  of  the  town.  The  Sunday-school  affords  the  only  reli- 
gious instruction  that  many  receive.  We  have  been  amazed  t,o  find  how  little 
many  of  them  know  upon  entering  the  school  of  the  fundamentals  of  Christian- 
ity. Private  prayer  is  seldom  practiced  and  the  Sacraments  are  little  used. 
To  many  infant  baptism  is  foolishness  and  "sprinkling"  of  little  effect. 

Recently  a  girl  of  twelve  or  fourteen  years  said  that  she  had  not  heard  of 
Christ  until  f-he  came  to  Mayodan. 

Few  had  ever  known  anything  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  at  first  could 
not  comprehend  its  services.  Now  we  have  well  attended  and  heartily  ren- 
dered services.  They  love  to  sing  and  we  have  thirty  children  in  our  vested 
choir. 

Besides  branches  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  and  the  Junior  Auxiliary  we 


HE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  FOUR  YEARS  AGO. 


"  THE  CRUSADERS 
Young  Men's  Bible  Cla 


have  two  clubs  for  girls  in  which  sewing  and  cooking  are  taught,  and  a 
Castle  of  Knights  ,of  King  Arthur  for  the  boys.  Each  week  there  is  a  cottage 
prayer  meeting,  also  a  social  meeting  and  Bible  class  for  the  women.  For 
several  months  every  winter  we  conduct  a  night  school  for  those  who  work 
in  the  mill  and  cannot  attend  the  public  school.  There  have  been  as  many  as 
fifty  pupils  in  three  classes,  some  of  them  young  men  learning  to  read  and 
write. 

It  has  been  our  purpose  to  help  those  to  whom  we  minister  mentally 
and  physically  as  well  as  morally  and  spiritually.  By  so  doing  we  have  gain- 
ed their  interest  and  confidence.  Our  work  began  with  the  children  and  con- 
tinues largely  among  them,  though  we  have  been  able  to  reach  many  of  the 
parents. 

The  fact  that  all  the  children  over  twelve  years  of  age  work  in  the  mill 
gives  an  added  interest  to  the  work. 

By  working  with  them  seven  days  in  the  week  we  have  been  able  to 
teach  them  the  meaning  ,of  the  Church  and  train  them  in  its  ways. 

In  the  Diocesan  Journal  of  1904  the  Church  of  the  Messiah,  Mayodan, 
is  accredited  with  seven  families,  nineteen  baptized  persons  and  eleven  com- 
municants. On  May  1st,  1909,  it  reported  eighty-five  families  or  parts  of 
families,  one  hundred  ami  thirty-one  baptised  persons  and  eighty-five  com- 
municants, nine  Sunday-school  teachers  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  scholars. 

L'orty-o'ie  persona  luid  been  baptised  and  forty-one  confirmed  in  ;he  year. 
Bishop  Cheshire,  in  his  address  to  the  convention,  noted  that  this  was  the  larg- 


THE  CHOIR 


est  number  of  persons  he  had  confirmed  in  any  one  church  during  the  year 
and  that  it  was  almost  one-tenth  of  the  total  confirmations  in  the  diocese. 

The  total  contributions  of  the  congregation  for  the  year  were  $719.18  of 
which  $154.33  went  for  purposes  outside  of  the  mission. 

We  cite  these  figures  in  no  spirit  of  self-emulation,  but  merely  to  show 
the  progress  and  growth  of  the  work.  We  realize  that  whatever  of  success 
has  attended  onr  efforts  is  due  not  only  to  the  loyal  support  that  we  have 
received  from  our  co-workers  at  Mayodan,  but  als.o  to  the  interest  and  mate- 
rial assistance  of  our  friends  throughout  the  country. 

To  bring  about  the  results  outlined  above  has  required  a  considerable 
outlay  of  money.  The  congregation  at  Mayodan  has  done  its  part  nobly. 
It  pays  its  proportion  of  the  Minister's  salary  and  the  current  exp?nses  of  the 
Church  of  the  Messiah.  To  secure  our  equipment  and  the  means  to  carry  on 
the  institutional  work  we  have  had  to  seek  outside  aid.  The  parish  house 
and  Sunday-school  building  with  other  improvements  have  cost  approximate- 
ly $2,700.00.  For  the  first  two  years  we  were  responsible  for  all  of  Mr. 
YVillcox's  salary.  Now  the  convocation  relieves  us  of  a  part  of  this.  Often 
we  have  not  known  where  the  money  for  the  next  month,  and  indeed  for 
the  past  month,  was  coming  from,  but  so  far  it  has  always  come,  though  not 
always  without  considerable  anxiety  and  solicitation. 

To  continue  the  work  upon  present  lines  it  is  necessary  that  we  secure  at 
least  $300.00  per  year,  the  greater  part  for  the  salary  of  the  assistant.  If 
any  persons  into  whose  hands  this  pamphlet  falls  are  willing  to  help  with  this 


SEWING  AND  COOKING  SCHOOL  AT  KECESS 


KNOWLHU RST  CHAPEL,  STOKES  COUNTY,  N.  C. 
One  of  the  five  outlying  missions  sewed  bv  Mevodan  Clergy 


part  of  the  work  let  them  send  contribution  to  the  undersigned.  One  little 
boy  who  heard  of  our  needs  sent  us  his  first  earnings — twenty-five  cents. 

Our  remaining  need  is  a  rectory.  With  it  we  w,ould  have  as  complete 
a  church  plant  and  equipment  as  is  necessary.  Nothing  would  so  much  insure 
the  permanency  of  the  work.  The  lack  of  a  home  often  prevents  the  Bishop 
being  able  to  secure  suitable  men  for  mission  stations.  Therefore  we  have 
set  out  to  obtain  a  rectory  and  are  going  to  follow  the  same  plan  by  which  we 
were  able  to  buy  our  parish  house. 


We  ask  that 

1  person  or  Society  give    _  $100.00 

2  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $50.00   100.00 

6  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $25.00    150.00 

10  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $10.00   100.00 

50  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $5.00    250.00 

100  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $2.00    200.00 

100  persons  or  Societies  give  each  $1.00    100.00 


269  persons  or  Societies  give  a  total  of    $1,000.00 


This  amount  with  what  we  can  raise  locally  will  secure  a  simple,  com- 
fortable house.  Will  you  not  become  .one  of  these  269  persons  by  sending 
us  any  sum  that  you  may  feel  disposed? 


In  order  to  bring  this  matter  before  others  we  would  ask  that  you  speak 
of  it  to  any  friend  or  organization  that  you  think  might  be  interested. 

We  shall  be  glad  t,o  furnish  additional  copies  of  this  pamphlet  and  further 
information  to  any  one  desirous  of  the  same. 

In  conclusion  we  take  this  opportunity  to  again  express  our  thanks  to 
our  friends  in  all  parts  of  the  country  who  have  helped  us  in  so  many  different 
ways.  Some  have  sent  clothing  for  the  needy,  boxes  for  our  Christmas  trees, 
b.ooks  and  magazines  for  the  library  and  reading  room,  games  and  toys  for 
the  children.  Others  have  sent  furnishings  for  the  church  and  choir.  The 
Auxilaries  of  our  own  diocese  have  given  us  generous  and  continued  support. 

We  have  tried  to  use  each  gift  where  it  would  help  m,ost.  We  wish  that 
every  friend  could  pay  us  a  visit  and  see  just  what  we  are  attempting. 

Faithfully  yours, 


Mayodan,  N.  C,  January,  1910. 


ALFEED  R.  BERKELEY. 


THE  BISHOP'S  ANNOUNCEMENT- 


The  work  done  in  this  mission  is  of  the  very  greatest  importance,  and 
deserves  the  most  liberal  support. 

It  has  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  most  successful  work  among  the 
operatives  of  our  great  factories.  I  believe  the  Church  has  no  where  better 
results  to  show  in  her  missionary  endeavors.  I  trust  that  the  faithful  Priest- 
in-charge,  may  receive  such  help  as  he  needs  for  the  securing  of  a  rectory, 
and  thus  helping  to  insure  the  permanence  of  the  work. 

JOSEPH  BLOUNT  CHESHIRE, 

Bishop  of  North  Carolina. 

December  10th,  1909. 


Harrison 
PRESS 


Greensboro 

•N-C 


Date  Due 


It  - 

JftMtO  y«8 

MOV  6  ^ 

— ^ — — — 

i 

! 

Form  335.    45M  8-37. 


204 


v.2 

»074 


C.  Religious  pamphlets 


—    —  issued  TO 


204     Z99     1860-99     v. 2 

Nos.1-13  343074 


